Bougainvillea plant named ‘Sasara’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of  Bougainvillea  plant named ‘Sasara’, characterized by its compact, upright and mounding plant habit; moderately vigorous growth habit; relatively small leaves; freely flowering habit; pale pink-colored flower bracts; and good garden performance.

Botanical designation: Bougainvillea×hybrida.

Cultivar denomination: ‘SASARA’.

CROSS-REFERENCED TO CLOSELY RELATED APPLICATIONS

Title: Bougainvillea Plant Named ‘Kasumi’

Applicant: Masahiro Nakano

Filed: Concurrently with this application U.S. Plant patent application Ser. No 12/798,015

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Bougainvillea plant, botanically known as Bougainvillea×hybrida and hereinafter referred to by the name ‘Sasara’.

The new Bougainvillea plant is a naturally-occurring branch mutation of a proprietary selection of Bougainville×hybrida known as ‘Konatu’, not patented. The new Bougainvillea plant was discovered and selected by the Inventor on a single flowering plant within a population of plants of ‘Konatu’ in a controlled greenhouse environment in Tsushima-shi, Aichi, Japan in May, 2005.

Asexual reproduction of the new Bougainvillea plant by cuttings in a controlled greenhouse environment in Tsushima-shi, Aichi, Japan since September, 2007, has shown that the unique features of this new Bougainvillea plant are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Plants of the new Bougainvillea have not been observed under all possible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environment and cultural practices such as temperature and light intensity without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of ‘Sasara’. These characteristics in combination distinguish ‘Sasara’ as a new and distinct cultivar of Bougainvillea:

-   -   1. Compact, upright and mounding plant habit.     -   2. Moderately vigorous growth habit.     -   3. Relatively small leaves.     -   4. Freely flowering habit.     -   5. Pale pink-colored flower bracts.     -   6. Good garden performance.

Plants of the new Bougainvillea differ from plants of the parent, ‘Konatu’, primarily in flower bract color as plants of ‘Konatu’ have red purple-colored flowers.

Plants of the new Bougainvillea can be compared to plants of Bougainvillea×hybrida ‘Kasumi’, disclosed in a U.S. Plant patent application Ser. No. 12/798,015. Plants of the new Bougainvillea and ‘Sasara’ differ primarily in flower bract color as plants of the new Bougainvillea have lighter colored flower bracts.

Plants of the new Bougainvillea can also be compared to plants of Bougainvillea×buttiana ‘Mrs. Butt’, not patented. In side-by-side comparisons conducted in Tsushima-shi, Aichi, Japan, plants of the new Bougainvillea and ‘Mrs. Butt’ differed in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Bougainvillea were more compact than and         not as vigorous as plants of ‘Mrs. Butt’.     -   2. Plants of the new Bougainvillea were more upright than and         not as outwardly spreading and trailing as plants of ‘Mrs.         Butt’.     -   3. Plants of the new Bougainvillea had shorter internodes than         plants of ‘Mrs. Butt’.     -   4. Plants of the new Bougainvillea were spineless whereas plants         of ‘Mrs. Butt’ had spines.     -   5. Plants of the new Bougainvillea had smaller leaves than         plants of ‘Mrs. Butt’.     -   6. Plants of the new Bougainvillea had smaller inflorescences         and flowers than plants of ‘Mrs. Butt’.     -   7. Plants of the new Bougainvillea and ‘Mrs. Butt’ differed in         flower bract color as plants of ‘Mrs. Butt’ had red         purple-colored flower bracts.     -   8. Plants of the new Bougainvillea had shorter peduncles than         plants of ‘Mrs. Butt’.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying colored photographs illustrate the overall appearance of the new Bougainvillea plant, showing the colors as true as it is reasonably possible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in the photographs may differ slightly from the color values cited in the detailed botanical description which accurately describe the colors of the new Bougainvillea plant.

The photograph at the top of the sheet comprises a side perspective view of a typical flowering plant of ‘Sasara’ grown in a container.

The photograph at the bottom of the sheet is a close-up view of a typical flowering plant of ‘Sasara’.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The aforementioned photographs and following observations, measurements and values describe plants grown in 12-cm containers during the early autumn in a polyethylene-covered greenhouse in Tsushima-shi, Aichi, Japan and under commercial practice with day temperatures ranging from 20° C. to 40° C. and night temperatures averaging 20° C. Plants were six months old when the description and photographs were taken. In the following description, color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 2001 Edition, except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used.

-   Botanical classification: Bougainvillea×hybrida ‘Sasara’. -   Parentage: Naturally-occurring branch mutation of a proprietary     selection of Bougainvillea×hybrida known as ‘Konatu’, not patented. -   Propagation:     -   -   Type.—By cuttings.         -   Time to produce a rooted young plant, summer.—About 22 days             at 20° C. to 30° C.         -   Time to produce a rooted young plant, winter.—About 30 days             at 20° C. to 25° C.         -   Root description.—Fibrous; white in color.         -   Rooting habit.—Freely branching; moderately dense. -   Plant description:     -   -   Plant form and growth habit.—Compact, upright and mounding             plant habit; moderately vigorous growth habit; freely             branching habit, pinching enhances branching potential.         -   Plant height.—About 15.6 cm.         -   Plant width.—About 10.4 cm.         -   Lateral branches.—Length: About 13.6 cm. Diameter: About             2.3 mm. Internode length: About 3.8 cm. Strength: Strong,             Texture: Smooth, glabrous; spineless. Color: Close to 144C;             with development, close to N199A. -   Foliage description:     -   -   Arrangement.—Alternate, simple.         -   Length.—About 3.7 cm.         -   Width.—About 2.2 cm.         -   Shape.—Ovate.         -   Apex.—Acute.         -   Base.—Obtuse.         -   Margin.—Entire.         -   Texture, upper and lower surfaces.—Pubescent.         -   Venation pattern.—Pinnate, reticulate.         -   Color.—Developing leaves, upper surface: Close to 153A.             Developing leaves, lower surface: Close to 146C. Fully             expanded leaves, upper surface: Close to 143A; venation,             close to 145A. Fully expanded leaves, lower surface: Close             to 137C; venation, close to 145A.         -   Petioles.—Length: About 1 cm. Diameter: About 0.9 mm.             Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous. Color,             upper and lower surfaces: Close to 144A. -   Flower description:     -   -   Flower type and habit.—Single flowers arranged in axillary             clusters with showy flower bracts; freely flowering habit             with about two to three flowers per cluster and about 17             clusters per plant; flowers face mostly upright.         -   Fragrance.—None detected.         -   Natural flowering season.—Plants of the new Bougainvillea             begin flowering about 30 days after planting; plants flower             from late spring through the autumn in Japan.         -   Flower longevity.—Flowers last about 15 days on the plant;             flowers not persistent; flower bracts persistent.         -   Inflorescence diameter.—About 2.2 cm.         -   Inflorescence height.—About 2.1 cm.         -   Flower diameter.—About 6 mm.         -   Flower depth (height).—About 1.35 cm.         -   Flower buds.—Length: About 1.5 cm. Diameter: About 1.9 mm.             Shape: Elongated. Color: Close to N144A to N144B; towards             the apex, close to 54D.         -   Perianth.—Arrangement: Five segments fused into a perianth             tube with a shallow five-lobed perianth limb. Perianth limb:             Length: About 2.2 mm. Diameter: About 1.1 mm. Shape:             Lanceolate. Apex: Acute. Margin: Entire. Texture: Smooth,             glabrous. Color: When opening, upper surface: Close to 155B.             When opening, lower surface: Close to 36A. Fully opened,             upper surface: Close to 155B. Fully opened, lower surface:             Close to N170C. Perianth tube: Length: About 1.2 cm.             Diameter: About 2 mm. Texture: Smooth, glabrous. Color,             inner surface: Close to 151C. Color, outer surface: Close to             153A.         -   Flower bracts.—Quantity per flower: One. Length: About             1.9 cm. Width: About 1.2 cm. Shape: Ovate. Apex: Acute.             Base: Obtuse. Margin: Entire; slightly undulate. Texture,             upper and lower surfaces: Smooth; glabrous. Color: When             opening, upper and lower surfaces: Close to 153D; venation,             close to 152B. Fully opened, upper and lower surfaces: Close             to 38D; venation, close to 184B; color becoming closer to             27D with development.         -   Peduncles.—Length: About 4.7 mm. Diameter: About 1.1 mm.             Texture: Smooth, glabrous. Angle: Outwardly. Color: Close to             152A tinted with close to 174A.         -   Pedicels.—Length: About 9.3 mm. Diameter: About 0.6 mm.             Texture: Smooth, glabrous. Angle: Outwardly. Color: Close to             152D.         -   Reproductive organs.—Androecium: Stamens per flower: About             eight. Stamen length: About 1 cm. Anther shape: Oval. Anther             size: About 0.5 mm by 0.5 mm. Anther color: Close to 8A.             Pollen amount: Moderate. Pollen color: Close to 8A.             Gynoecium: Quantity of pistils per flower: One. Pistil             length: About 9 mm. Stigma shape: Lanceolate. Stigma color:             Close to 145D. Style color: Close to 145B. Ovary color:             Close to 143B.         -   Seed/fruit.—Seed and fruit development have not been             observed. -   Disease/pest resistance: Plants of the Bougainvillea have not been     observed to be resistant to pathogens and pests common to     Bougainvillea. -   Garden performance: Plants of the new Bougainvillea have been     observed to have good garden performance and to tolerate rain, wind     and temperatures ranging from about 5° C. to about 40° C. 

1. A new and distinct Bougainvillea plant named ‘Sasara’ as illustrated and described. 